Pump



April 18, 1961 E, RUSSELL PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1958INVENTOR.

a W mm UW $7M S 0 TD April 18, 1961 L. E. RUSSELL PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed June 25, 1958 OUT PUMP

Linus E. Russell, Springfield, Ohio, assignor to Peters & Russell, Inc.,Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 25, 1958, Ser. No.744,515

8 Claims. (Cl. 103-150) N This invention relates to reciprocating pumps,and particularly to integrated diaphragm pump assemblies comprisingpumping means, a motor, a transmission from the motor to the pumpingmeans and air domes to inhibit pulsing in the fluid transfer operation,such assemblies being useful as bilge pumps but being useful also topump gaseous fluids and liquids other than water.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well asthe means and mode of operation of diaphragm pumps, whereby such pumpsmay not only be economicallymanufactured, but will be more efiicient andsatisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications, and beunlikely to get out of order.

A further object of the invention is to present a generally new pumpassembly as described characterized by a high degree of compactness andsimplicity 'of construction resulting in ease of assembly, adaptabilityof installation and dependable, trouble free operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pump assembly asdescribed characterized by diaphragm pumping means installedsubstantially within a wall constituting a principal supporting part ofthe pump structure and about which the motor and transmission means, andthe dome structure, are symmetrically arranged.

A further object of the invention is to present a generally new domestructure in a pump assembly as described wherein vacuum and dischargechambers of relatively large capacity are provided for leveling orsmoothing out pulsations in the fluid flow.

Still another object of the invention is to obviate water logging andthe like of the air domes through use of diaphragm means which accordingto the instant invention is common to both the vacuum chamber and thedischarge chamber and has a configuration calculated to obtain a miximumefliciency in the use of the domes.

A further object of the invention is to provide pumps possessing theadvantageous structural features, the inherent meritoriuscharacteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above and other incidental objects-in viewv as will more fullyappear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected byLetters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts andcombinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter describedor illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviouslynot necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of an integrated pump assembly inaccordance with the instant inventive embodiment;

nited States Patent 2,980,031 Patented Apr. 18, 1961 Like parts areindicated by similar characters of reference throughout the severalviews. 7

Referring to the drawings, a pump assembly in accordance with theillustrated embodiment of the invention includes a base 10, formedintegrally with which is a vertically rising wall 11. The .wall 11 iscentrally positioned upon the base 10, and, in accordance with a feature of the invention, provides a mounting or support for the otherparts of thepump assembly which are symmetrically arranged on oppostesides of the wall for maximum compactness.

'Referring to Fig. 3, the vertically rising wall 11 is formed with athrough opening 12 and on one side thereof'is a conically inclingingsurface 13. On the opposite side of the wall 11 is a rabbet or groove 14adapted to lie in opposing relation to a groove 15 in a plate 16 forminga part of a mounting body 17. The plate 16 and the wall 11v are adaptedto clamp between their opposing surfaces the peripheral edge of a diaphragm 18 which is in effect locked in place by virtue of a flange 19 onits periphery which is received in the opposing grooves 14 and 15. Themounting body 17 is removably secured to the wall 11 by bolts 21 (Fig.2).

The diaphragm 18 constitutes the principal pumping element of theassembly. Oppositely disposed rigid plates 22 and 23 provide a rigidconnection of the diaphragm to a connecting rod 24'which extends to andreaches the diaphragm through an opening 25 in the wall 16 of the body17. The connecting rod 24 has a tapped open interior receiving a screwor bolt 26 passed through the diaphragm and into the rod 24. Theconstruction is such as to attach the diaphragm 18 in a relatively rigidmanner to the rod 24 so that upon reciprocation of the latter thediaphragm 18 will partake thereof, moving into and out of the opening 12in the wall 11, such motion being permitted by flexing of the diaphragmin the usual manner.

The connecting rod 24 is connected at its outer end to an eccentric 27on a crank shaft 28 rotatable in a gear box or transmission housing 29.The latter is attached by screws 31 to a wall 32 forming a part of themounting body 17 and extending in right angle relationship to the plate16. Within the gear box 29, a worm 33 drives a gear 34 on the shaft 28and is itself driven in a suitable manner from a shaft 35 (Fig. 1)extending from and actuated by an electric motor 36.

. The latter is mounted upon brackets 37 which in turn are mounted uponthe gear box 29. The motor, and transmission mechanism, accordingly bothare supported upon the body 17 to one side of the ,wall 11. Operation ofthe motor 36, which it is understood is suitably energized andcontrolled selectively to rotate the shaft 35,

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the assembly of results in arotation of the crank shaft 28 and this in turn effects a reciprocatingmovement of the connecting rod 24 through the eccentric 27. The motionof the rod 24, as before described, is effective to reciprocatediaphragm 18 of the pumping means.

On the opposite side of the wall 11 and mounted thereon in contacting,superposed relation, is a body 38 connected, as by bolts 39 (Fig. 4) tothe wall 11 and supported thereby. The body 38 is formed with an outerwall 41 and with an intermediate generally transversewall or rib 42 bothresting upon the adjacent surface of the wall 11. The walls 41 and 42form in the body 38' vacuum and discharge chambers 43 and 44, suchchambers being in effect separated by the wall 42 but in commoncommunication with a pumping chamber 45 defined by the adjacent faces ofthe wall 11 and body 38. In effect received within the vacuum chamber 43is a per forate valve plate 46 having on its peripheral edge anout-turned portion 47 received in complementary cut outs in thecontacting surfaces of the wall 41 and 11- and the wall 42 and 11. Onthe underside of the plate 46 is attached a flexible flapper type valve48 tending normally to close the perforate portions of the plate 46 butresponding to a pressure in the chamber 43 which is higher than thepressurein the chamber 45 to open to permit fluid flow from the chamber43 to the chamber 45, flow in the opposite direction being denied.Similarly mounted and received in the discharge chamber 44 of the body38, but in an inverse position, is another valve plate 49 and a valveelement 51 constructed in substantially identical manner to the plate 46and valve 48. On account of its inverse mounting, however, the valveassembly in chamber 44 admits fluid from chamber 45 to the chamber 44and denies flow in the opposite direction. The vacuum chamber 43 isadapted to receive liquid or another fluid by way of alternately usedopenings 52 and 53 extending laterally therefrom'within the body 38.Fluid is discharged from chamber 44 by way of alternately used openings54 and 55. The construction and arrangement of parts, it will berecognized, is to provide for a transfer of fluid from the chamber 43 tothe chamber 44 in response to reciprocating motions of the diaphragm 18which alternately expands and contracts the size of the pumping chamber45. Fluid drawn from the chamber 43 into the pumping chamber 45 isreplaced by other fluid brought to the pumpingassembly by suitablepiping and admitted thereto either through the opening 52 or the opening53. Similarly, as fluid is forced into the discharge chamber 44 a likeamount is expelled therefrom by way of the openings 54 or 55 andconducted away from the pump assembly by suitable piping connections.

The chambers 43 and 44 communicate, through respective openings 56 and57 with expansion chambers 58 and 59. The latter are in effectcontinuations of the vacuum and discharge chambers and are separatelyidentified merely for convenience of designation. They are formed byupward continuations of the walls 41 and 42 of the body 38, beingseparated by the internal wall 42 into distinct and separated chambersas indicated. Overlying the upper ends of the walls 41 and 42 is acomplementarily formed dome structure 61 adapted to provide air chambers62 and 63 above the expansion chambers 58 and 59. A separation betweenthe air chambers and expansion chambers is effected by diaphragm meansin the form of a molded rubber or rubber-like part 64. The part 64 has aperipheral flange portion 65 received in a groove defined by thecontacting surfaces of the wall 41 of the body 38 and the mating wall ofthe dome structure 61. A central bead 66 in the diaphragm 64 isreceivedin mating surfaces on the wall 42 and a central correspondingrib 67 of the dome structure. The construction and arrangement of partsis such as substantially to clamp the diaphragm'between the dome 61 andbody 38 while providing respective relatively free flexible portions 68and 69. The diaphragm 64 is in its manufacture given a normal or initialconfiguration by which the portions 68 and 69 are reversely cupped.Further, in the installation of the diaphragm the portion 68 is placedwithin or between expansion chamber 58 and air chamber 62 while portion69 is placed within or between expansion chamber 59 and air chamber 63.The arrangement is one tending to add to or to emphasize the ability ofthe air domestructure in reducing the effects of pulsing in theoperation of the pump whereby to provide for a steady continuing flow ofthe fluid beinghandled. On a retracting stroke of the connecting rod 24,tending to expand the chamber 45, the-pressure differential whichresults 'between the chamber 43 and chamber 45 causes valve 48 to openand flow from the chamber 43 and communicating chamber 58 takes place tothe pumping chamber-45. The air trapped in chamber 62: is permitted, inresponse tothis flow, to expand with the result that portion 68 of thediaphragm 64' is deformed inwardly of the expansion chamber 58'. The

vacuum efiect produced in chamber 62 tends to smooth out the flow fromthe vacuum chamber 43 in a manner to obviate pulsing or impact movementinto the chamber 45. In a like manner, the forcing of pressure fluidinto the discharge chamber 59 is efiective to deform the portion 68 ofthe diaphragm 64 upwardly into the chamber 63. This motion compressesthe air in chamber 63 in a manner to dampen flow and again to obviatepulsing movements of the fluid.

The diaphragm 64 has especial utility in enabling effective operation ofthe pump in attitudes other than upright where the air cushion inchambers 62 and 63 may be lost.

The configuration of the expansion chambers is such as to give them aninverted frusto-conical shape. Thus each chamber has a maximumcross-sectional area at its upper portion and a minimum cross-sectionalarea at its bottom, with the two being connected by a gradually taperingwall surface. The construction, it has been determined, is one wellsuited to diaphragm pump operationfacilitating a smooth rapid transferof fluid therethrough.

Similarly, the location of the expansion chambers has been found toaffect the ability of the pump to achieve high performance. Thus, asindicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the inlets 56 and 57 to the expansionchambers are offset or displaced relatively to the valves 48 and 49. Onthe flow line, yet away from turbulence at the valves, the chambers arefree to exert their steadying influence upon the pump operation. To addto the advantage obtained by such off-set arrangement spacer means maybe inserted between the body 38 and the plate 11, in effect to extendthe walls 41 and 42, whereby to increase the displacement of the valvesrelatively to the expansion chamber inlets.

From the above description'it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions,detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to structural features,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosedcomprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect,and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms ormodifications within the legitimate and valid scope of theappendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A pump, including a base, a wall rising vertically from said base, abody mounted on one side of said wall and formed with vacuum anddischarge chambers, said wall andsaid body defining between them apumping chamber in common communication with said vacuum and dischargechambers, said. body including vertically rising outer walls and anintermediate wall common to said vacuum and discharge chambers, aremovable closure cap for the upper end of said body providing domes toact as continuations of said vacuum and discharge chambers and havingwall portions to rest on the said outer and intermediate walls of saidbody, diaphragm means clamped between said closure cap and said bodycomprising a one-piece flexible part having an initial configurationproviding reversely cupped formations respectively received insaidvacuum and discharge chambers, other diaphragm means mounted in saidwall to form a part'of saidpumping chamber, means connected to saidother diaphragm means to "reciprocate saidother diaphragm means, andvalvesin said body controlling a transfer of fluid from said vacuumchamber to said di'scharge chamber in response to reciprocation of saidother diaphragm means.

2. A pump according to claim 1, characterized in that said valve meanscomprises perforated plates clamped between said wall and said body, andreversely arranged flexible closures 0r respective plates.

3. A pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the first saiddiaphragm means is arranged to present normally to the dome over saidvacuum chamber a convex surface and to the dome over said dischargechamber a concave surface.

4. A diaphragm pump including a wall having an opening therethrough, adiaphragm to one side of the wall bridging the opening and having meansconnected for reciprocation thereof, a body mounted to the opposite sideof said wall including a portion defining a pumping chamber with saidwall and diaphragm, said portion having intake and discharge valves inplanes oriented substantially parallel to the plane of said diaphragm,means defining an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber in said bodyrespectively adjacent said intake and discharge valves for communicationwith said pumping chamber therethrough, and means defining expansionchambers in said body having their major axes vertical to and relativelydisplaced from the central axes of said valves and oriented in adirection at right angles thereto; v

5. A diaphragm pump, including means defining a pumping chamber having areciprocable diaphragm means constituting a portion of one Wall andintake and discharge valve means constituting portions of an oppositewall thereof, means containing said valve means to one side of saidpumping chamber providing vacuum and discharge chambers communicatingwith said pump ing chamber through said valve means, means definingexpansion chambers having openings respectively cornmunicating with saidvacuum and discharge chambers, said expansion chambers being orientedrespectively in vertical relation to the central axes of said valvemeans and relatively offset therefrom, the construction and arrangementbeing such that the chambers project in directions generally parallel tothe general planes of said valve means.

6. A diaphragm pump according to claim 5 characterized in that saidmeans defining said expansion chambers include flexible diaphragm meansconnected to form relatively sealed air chambers therein for smoothingout pulsations in pumping fluid through said pumping chamher.

7. A diaphragm pump according to claim 6 characterized in that saidflexible diaphragm means are formed to normally present to the vacuumchamber a convex surface and to the discharge chamber a concave surface.

8. A diaphragm pump includinga body having means defining vacuum anddischarge chambers in one end and opening laterally of said body fromsaid vacuum and discharge chambers, generally co-planar valve meansrespectively bridging openings from said vacuum and discharge chambers,means to one side of said body defining a pumping chamber with anadjacent said valve means including a reciprocable diaphragm oppositelythereof for drawing fluid from the vacuum chamber and delivering it tothe discharge chamber, said body having means defining expansionchambers lying vertically of said vacuum and discharge chambers withtheir major axes in a plane displaced from and generally parallel totheplane of said valve means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS111,961 Merrill Feb. 21, 1871 1,301,282 Larsh Apr. 22, 1919 1,447,074Gorman Feb. 27, 1923 1,944,340 Zubaty Jan. 23, 1934 1,965,497 JohnsonJuly 3, 1934' 2,117,563 McMillan May 17, 1938 2,287,841 Tabb June 30,1942 2,625,113 Robinson Jan. 13, 1953 2,687,696 Theis Aug. 31, 1954 I2,873,688 Elder Feb. 17, 1959

